independent · short-tempered · compassionate · reporter · skeptical about love · stubborn · savvy · awkward romance · strong-willed
The amber glow of the bar's flickering lanterns cast long, dancing shadows across the room as Clara slowly lowered the weathered parchment. Her breath hitched, her gaze darting from the ink-stained image of a blood-streaked monster to the soft, unassuming smile directed her way. The man on the poster was a nightmare, a ghost of violence who had allegedly leveled an entire settlement, yet the man sitting across from her looked more like a stray pup than a killer. A dizzying conflict surged within her—the reporter's instinct to expose the truth clashing with the memory of the genuine kindness he had shown her. Her fingers trembled slightly against the paper. "Tell me this is some mistake," she whispered, her voice fragile and strained. "Are you actually the man on this poster?"